Dave Crimmen - Broadmoor Village

The first place to start looking to answer the question, Where is Broadmoor? One only needs to look at current maps. Above is a 2010 G. M. Johnson city map. It clearly shows the name Broadmoor, and the community is highlighted in a lightly shaded area, different from the shades used to show Daly City.

Ellis Stoneson is the eldest of the two brothers who created the Stoneson Development Company and built Broadmoor Village. He was born on July 15, 1893, in Victoria, British Columbia. Ellis was a veteran of World War I and a registered Republican. His occupation is listed as Home Builder and general Contractor.(Courtesy San Francisco Public Library and the San Francisco News-Call Bulletin .)

Henry Stoneson was born on May 17, 1895, also in Victoria, British Columbia. Henry was also a Free Mason. Both brothers directed six family-owned corporations including the Stoneson Development Company. It was through this company that the brothers built Broadmoor Village, Lakeside Village, and Stonestown, among other developments. (Courtesy San Francisco Public Library and the San Francisco News-Call Bulletin .)

This aerial photograph was taken on November 2, 1946. In the middle of the photograph is the genesis of what was to become Broadmoor Village. To the right (north) is farmland that will become Westlake Shopping Center. The top of the photograph (west) is farmland that will be developed by Henry Doelger. On the left (south) will be Westmoor High School. (Courtesy HJW Geospatial Inc. and Pacific Aerial Surveys. Oakland, California.)

A closer look of this photograph shows Sweetwood Drive, Louvaine Drive, Louvaine Place, Heather Road, Washington Street, and the beginnings of Gilman Drive. These were the very first streets and houses built in Broadmoor Village. The work started in 1945 and was clearly well on its way with in less than a year. (Courtesy HJW Geospatial Inc. and Pacific Aerial Surveys. Oakland, California.)

This is an artists original drawing of the Broadmoor Portals. The Broadmoor Property Owners Association built the portals in 1951 to mark the entrances to Broadmoor Village. Two were placed at the corner of Eighty-seventh Street and Washington Street. Another two portals were placed at the other end of Washington Street just east of Sweetwood Drive. (Courtesy Mary Lou Moss, Broadmoor Property Owners Association.)

This photograph shows the portal on the south side of the Washington Street at Sweetwood Drive as it appears in 2010. The portals marked the two main ways to get in or out of Broadmoor Village. The light fixtures at the top of the portals were removed due to vandalism.

Here is the portal on the north side of Washington Street at Sweetwood Drive in slightly better condition. Pictured is the portal from the Daly City side looking west into Broadmoor Village as if one is entering the community. The stonework is amazing. One can only wonder what this cost the Broadmoor Property Owners Association when they had these built.

Here again is the north portal from the back on the Broadmoor side, facing east to the Daly City side. The two portals located on Eighty-seventh Street at Washington Street were removed by San Mateo County in November 1971. The portals on Washington Street are still a very good way to know if one is in Broadmoor or Daly City.